


Counting

by artificialmac



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M, Missed Opportunities, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-09-19 14:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9445706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialmac/pseuds/artificialmac
Summary: The two ex-lovers watch each other, and Michelle counts.





	

Michelle sat down next to Aaron and he gave her a nod. Aaron didn’t say anything for a good five minutes, which was strange, given the fact that Aaron was always talking. Michelle looked over at him. His eyes were trained on the figure in the middle of the dance floor, blinking only when absolutely necessary.

“So are you just going to sit here and watch him all night?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

A beat of silence.

“Do you love him?“

Aaron waited a moment, when he finally did speak, his voice sounded far away and distant. “I don’t know if its love. I know that it is definitely…something.”

“Hmm?”

“What I do know, is that there are times, when he smiles, and the world seems to stop.” Aaron paused and watched as Justin’s hips moved in time with his mouth, as he talked to the stranger in front of him. Aaron continued “And I know that there are times, when he looks at me…” Then his eyes met Michelle’s. “I can’t breathe.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.”

“Why don’t you do something?”

Aaron gave a short laugh. “What would you suggest?”

“Something. Anything.”

“No”

“Why not?” Michelle sounded slightly irritated now.

“Why not? There are a million and one reasons why not. There is one big one that I can think of.” Aaron glanced over at his fiancé, chatting with another queen that Aaron didn’t recognize.

“So?”

“So? Are you, Michelle Visage, encouraging me to cheat on my fiancé with my ex? The one that you practically pulled away from me with your own hands? The one that you practically consider your own child?”

“So what if I am?”

Aaron looked at her with his mouth hanging wide open. For once in his life he had no words. “Why?”

“Because its you.” When Aaron still looked at her confused, she elaborated, “Its you. Its the both of you. You, heaven help me, you have been in love with that boy since the day you laid eyes on him. You were his world for so long, still are. Now you made some fucked up decisions, and you fucked up a lot, but so did he. He loved you with everything he had and when it wasn’t enough, he was all used up. Unbeknownst to you, you effectively zapped all the fire out of him. You both made mistakes, yes. But does that mean you don’t deserve to be happy, no.”

“I am happy.”

“I never said you weren’t. But look me in the eyes and tell me that every second you spend with your lover you don’t miss him, even if only a little bit.”

Aaron couldn’t make eye contact with her and the room started to spin. He was reasonably alarmed due to the fact that he hadn’t ingested any alcohol and last he checked, rooms just didn’t start spinning. “How do you know he isn’t happy?”

“Look at him.” Aaron did as he was told and he watched as Justin’s mouth moved and the corners of his mouth got higher and higher up his cheeks. He was just about to say such to Michelle, when he noticed it. It was completely unnoticeable by anyone else, but to those that knew Justin as intimately as Aaron and Michelle, it was easily detected. Justin was smiling and dancing and having the time of his life, but his eyes were so…sorrowful. It was a striking image.

“He has looked over here four times since I sat down. You probably didn’t notice. He is more discreet than you are.” Aaron laughed. There was absolutely nothing about him that was discreet.

Just then, Aaron saw, out of the corner of his eye, Justin sneaking a glance at them. ‘Caught’ he thought in his head.

“Five.”

Aaron continued on with his insistent staring at Justin, until he was pulled out of his trance by Chad sitting next to him.

“Hey babe.”

“Hey.” Aaron’s gaze darted to Justin quickly, before he leaned in to greet his fiancé.

“Six.”

“What?” Chad asked.

“Nothing.” Aaron interjected. “Just a game we were playing.”

“Oh ok.” Chad didn’t ask anymore questions, which Aaron was grateful for. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, just gotta grab my bag from the back.” Aaron made a move to stand up, but was stopped.

“No worries I’ll get it.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I have to go back there anyway to get my stuff.” Chad left as quickly as he had come, Aaron was left with only a kiss on the cheek as proof that the interaction had actually happened.

Aaron looked back at Michelle. So many thoughts flashed through his head but none of them made themselves known. He finally managed to get out, “I can’t…”

“I know.”

He sighed and looked back to Justin. “I think it’s going to kill me.”

“I think it already has.”

She was right.

They spent the next five minutes in a relaxed silence, until Chad showed up with two bags in his hands. Chad gave Michelle a warm smile and Aaron gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Aaron pulled away and made a grab for Chad’s hand. The two made their way out of the semi-crowded bar and out the door.

“Seven.” Michelle said, to no one in particular.


End file.
